This Wasn't For You
by sininsilence
Summary: A sortasequel to my Rekindle oneshot. CD Challenge using AFI's Decemberunderground for prompts. Zutara. Rating may change for later chapters.
1. Prelude 1221

_AN_: I issued a CD Challenge at the katarazuko LJ a couple weeks ago and decided it was only right for me to undertake it myself if I expected other people to as well. Basically the idea is just to pick a CD and use the song titles as drabble or chapter prompts/titles. I've chosen AFI's _Decemberunderground_. It's based off the scenario set up in my "Rekindle" one-shot, so it is slightly AU, but nothing too crazy or totally outside the realm of possibility. And it will eventually be Zutara. You'll just have to stick with me for awhile. Anyway, this will be my first multi-chapter fanfic, so wish me luck and cookies.

_Disclaimer_: I do not own _Avatar: the Last Airbender_, or AFI. Although I wouldn't mind renting Zuko and Davey Havoc for a weekend.

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**Prelude 12/21**

The sun beat upon his back, his feet shuffling heavily over the parched dirt road. The narrow border between the rustling grasses and the deep wagon ruts consumed his attention as he focused on keeping each foot falling squarely before its companion. Sweat drenched his tunic and it clung maddeningly to his shoulders and spine. The thin, worn material had been loosened several hours earlier and the warm breeze brushed tauntingly against the glistening planes of his once pale chest. He noted with dismay the slight tinge of pink that was beginning to stain his exposed skin.

Under normal circumstances, a firebender would not experience such mundane inconveniences. Humiliations. But these were not normal circumstances. Exhaustion had overtaken him hours before. Even the rise of the shining face of day did little to revive him. It only masked the flickering lights that had dogged him through the night. No sooner had he set up his camp (little more than a small fire and his unfurled bedroll) than he had heard them, crashing through the underbrush, torches casting shadows like dancing fiends between the trees. But the shadows were nothing compared to the one who lead the force that hunted him. He had taken refuge in the canopy, fleeing amid high branches with nothing but the dual dao swords strapped to his back. Gradually the crackling of flames and the crash of heavy-footed pursuit faded, allowing him to slow his own pace. Yet each time he stopped for breath, he could hear the crisp tone of command echoing below. She was toying with him.

Now, as morning slid lazily into afternoon, it was sheer will that urged him on. Will and the faint cluster of dwellings in the distance. He had no hopes of a place to stay, a warm meal, even a kind word from the locals. All he wanted was a cool glass of water and a place to rest before moving on. He held no delusions that she had abandoned her pursuit, and so he could not yet abandon his flight. His pride told him to stand and fight. His reason said he would never escape alive if he did.

He stumbled into the furrowed cart track he had been skirting, narrowly maintaining his balance. Shaken from his thoughts, he noticed the village drawing closer. He also realized he had reached the furthest outskirts of civilization. A field of cabbages stretched out to the horizon on his left. How he had grown to hate those horrid, leafy, green heads. He suppressed the urge to set the entire patch alight. That is how it had all started, after all. Uncle would say something like, "Water on the ashes will not return the wood." Yes, that's what he would say, were he here.

A cloud drifted swiftly overhead, providing momentary relief from the relentless sun. Zuko wiped the sweat from his brow and pulled himself up to his full height. A drink, a few moments rest, and he would move on.


	2. Kill Caustic

_AN:_ Sorry in advance. I suck at action sequences. I'm much more suited to introspection. Just bear with me for awhile.

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**Kill Caustic**

The warmth was gone, the light shining down no long glowing beyond his eyelids. Moments passed before the subtle change of atmosphere seeped through his fatigue. Had he drifted off? Here in the open, his back against the village well? It wasn't the indignity of it all that horrified him. He was slowly becoming accustomed to that. Rather it was the sight that greeted his bleary vision when he reluctantly forced his eyes to confirm his suspicions.

That smirk, blotting out the sun. It plagued his childhood. Haunted his dreams. Hunted him over land and sea. It had him cornered, and it was clearly pleased with itself. "Did you rest well, Zuzu?"

"Azula." His sister's name left a bitter taste upon his parched tongue. He pulled himself to his feet, the movement lacking its usual practiced grace as his stiff limbs protested. He resisted the urge to rub away the grit that stung his eyes, concentrating on assessing his current predicament.

She had left behind the majority of her force, opting perhaps for mobility and speed over brute strength. That had always been her way. Yet, the two girls flanking her were in some respects more of a threat than an entire battalion of benders. Ty Lee's fingers waggled in greeting, complimenting a cheerful smile. Mai stood a bit further off, refusing even to turn in the group's direction. Her loose stance and apparent disinterest compounded her general aura of ennui. Yet by the tilt of her head, it was clear she was fully in tune with her compatriots. Studies in deception, all three. The thought sent his blood racing, adrenaline pumping, as he drew forth his swords.

"Still playing with knives, brother?" the princess tsked. "Than have you finally admitted to your utter incompetence? Why don't you make this easy on us all and come along willingly. It's obvious you're in no condition to put up much of a fight. No one needs to die here today."

"Never!" Not even against such horrible odds would he surrender. Not even when defeat was assured. His honor, his birthright, his entire world, had been stripped from him. He had somehow managed to salvage his pride through it all. He would not relinquish it willingly.

"I was so hoping you'd say that. It will make things so much more interesting. Wouldn't you agree, Mai?"

The young assassin nodded once, not even bothering to turn and acknowledge the wicked grin spreading across her friend's face.

"Fine." With swords crossed before him, Zuko began backing away from the well. "In the fields outside of town then."

"No, here and now will do nicely." Without warning, Azula's fist flew forward, sending a stream of blue flame hurtling across the village square.

Zuko's eyes widened, momentarily transfixed by the blinding column of fire. The first wave of blistering heat, however, sent him diving behind the stone foundation of the well. The crackling of dry wood over his shoulder was testament to how close he had come. His sister's fire was quickly consuming the bucket and frame.

The fire at his back was momentarily forgotten as he turned his attention to the whisper of airborne metal. Remaining crouched beside the only cover available, Zuko's swords swirled before him, the arc of the blades narrowly missing stone and dirt, as the three slim darts were awkwardly deflected to fall harmlessly at his feet. Still, the damage was done.

The soft thud as Mai's knives hit the ground was accompanied by his own muffled grunt. A sharp jab of fingertips to his shoulder and his left arm fell limp at his side, his sword slipping from his grasp. Swinging out clumsily with his remaining weapon, he felt the satisfying snag of metal on loose pink fabric. But he could not afford to revel in the deep frown upon Ty Lee's face as she inspected the tear at her knee.

A second gout of flame skimmed above the well, singeing his hair. Seizing the brief opportunity while each of his opponents were between attacks, Zuko darted for the nearest alleyway, disappearing into the shadows cast by the late afternoon sun. He was barely out of the open when another volley of darts whistled past his ear. Spinning to face his attackers he readied himself for a frontal assault. But it was only Mai and Ty Lee blocking the entrance to the narrow alley.

The tingle of the fine hairs on his arms and the back of his neck were his first warning. The faint scent of o-zone followed. A shadow cast from the rooftops tore his gaze away from the street to his sister above, ominous sparks crackling around her fingertips. The bolt struck at the wall beside his head as he dodged sharply behind a nearby corner. His escape had been narrow, and by no means complete. Blue flames licked up the buildings, racing close behind him.

The blaze burned brighter, feeding off anything in its path, augmenting the high sun's heat, which he had sought to escape not an hour before. Charred wood creaked and crashed around him, buildings beginning to collapse under the rapid progression of the inferno. Smoke choked his lungs and rose to blot out the natural light of day, leaving a sickly flickering glow to illuminate the treacherous path he forged. Already nearly an entire block of homes and shops had been consumed by Azula's reckless zeal.

He had not dodged her attack. She had not missed. She had struck the building on purpose. She had set the tiny village alight. People were screaming, crying, fleeing. And it was all his fault. He should never have come here. He had to get away. Had to get out. Had to do _something_.

Veering around another corner, he pulled up short. Before him was the square, the last remnants of the well's woodwork smoldering with dull red embers, and three girls ready and waiting to continue where they had left off.

"Look what you've done, Zuzu."

"Don't call me that!"

"What would you like me to call you?" She calmly began closing the distance between them, motioning the others to remain behind. "'Prince Zuko?' That would hardly be appropriate, now would it? It's no wonder, really--what's become of you. A true heir would never sink as low as this. Running from his own nation, hiding in nothing little villages. And now look. Because of you, these peasants are suffering. And it all may have been avoided if you had simply surrendered. And when I asked so nicely…." She stood before him, hands resting lightly on her hips, malicious smile comfortably stretching her lips. "How does it feel to know that you've failed again, Zuzu?"

A gruff roar of fury was the substitute for words that would not come. His sword flashed out awkwardly, unbalanced by his immobile and disarmed limb. Azula easily sidestepped the attack and chuckled softly at her brother's frustration. The sound, however, was abruptly cut short when the princess's head jolted forward in time with a sharp, wet snap. The siblings turned to see a large mass of fur land on the far side of the village square, the Avatar and his companions already engaging with Mai and Ty Lee. The waterbender stood a short distance away, her stance fluid as she shifted into her next attack. The princess launched her own offensive with grim delight.

Zuko backed away from the free-for-all and turned back to the alley. The blaze was still confined to the sector in which he had sought refuge, but it would not be long before it jumped the small break of the dirt street to the next structure. The few earthbenders left to the town by the war effort were scattered about the perimeter, struggling to smother the flames. But they were young, inexperienced, and largely ineffectual. His arm still maintained the warm prickle of blocked chi, and he vainly shook it, attempting to regain control. He needed to bend.

Grabbing his shoulder with his right hand, Zuko jerked the joint back into proper alignment, the quiet pop releasing the restraint on his chi. Slowly the feeling began to seep back into his limb, but there was no time to wait for the tingling pain to subside. Rushing into the inferno he headed back toward the epicenter, dodging falling debris and shielding his eyes from the soot that swirled madly though the thermal currents. The roar of the flames lessened the further he ran, until he found himself amidst smoldering black cinders and the crackling of charred remnants. He stood for a moment, surveying the damage around him and the continuing carnage beyond, fighting against rage and fatigue to steady his ragged breath. And then he began.

Moving through the forms that had been ingrained in him since his training had first begun, the fires nearest him began to flicker and dim. Control was the first lesson--the first lesson his uncle had taught him. His movements became more crisp, more determined, and the sphere of calm around him widened. Soon only tiny tongues of dim orange flame remained to lick at the remains of the buildings immediately surrounding him. And he fought on, sweat pouring off his brow, ash scratching in his throat with each measured breath, his head spinning from overexertion, until finally he collapsed. A cloud of soot rose around him, even as he felt the first drops of cool rain falling from the cloudless sky.


	3. Miss Murder

AN: I still hate writing action sequences. And if I had to make a certain someone say another certain someone's name one more time, I think even I would have been sick. ENJOY! ; D

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**Miss Murder**

The spring babbled cheerfully before her, but she wasn't listening--only stared at the rippling surface before leaning forward to splash her face. The cool water was refreshing, rinsing away the thin film of sweat that had coated her skin. Traveling on the back of a flying bison was indeed an excellent mode of transportation, yet even the strong breeze generated by their speed could not ease the heat of the midday sun in a cloudless sky. If she and the boys were uncomfortable lounging languidly, she could only imagine how poor, furry, Appa felt doing all the work. She had been leaning over the side of the litter searching for a place to suggest landing. It was then she had seen him.

A soft sigh slipped past her lips as she bent fresh water into the skin she carried across her back. It had been more than a week since they had last seen him. Since _she_ had last seen him, actually. The others had been too far off and, rather than risk confrontation, had unquestioningly leapt onto Appa's back when they had seen her sprinting back towards them. It wasn't until they were airborne and she had caught her breath that she had explained it was Zuko sitting beneath the willow boughs. She hadn't even realized it herself at first.

He had seemed only a quiet boy veiled in the lengthy twilight shadows, curled in upon himself. Worn peasant garb in faded green hung loose on his thin frame, borrowed perhaps, or castoffs that were considered adequate enough to be of use. Cropped dark hair crowned the head whose face was buried in folded arms and propping knees. The subtle shudder of stiff shoulders and the accompanying soft rattle of breath had drawn her in closer. The healer in her reached out to the tightly coiled mass of human suffering, offering comfort and help. His face rose in response to her gentle tone, reminding her vaguely of the moon peeking over the horizon. She offered a comforting smile as she stared into mist-clouded eyes reflecting the golden sunset.

He hesitated for a moment, his gaze dropping thoughtfully from hers, before he turned his face toward her, his scar fully visible and blazing in the red shade and wispy willow shadows. And she hesitated, staring, yet seeing nothing but the familiar brand, the only familiar feature remaining to identify the young man before her. She wasn't sure when she turned to run, or how long she had stood with him before she had first begun backing away. But she remembered Sokka shaking her, demanding to know why they had abandoned a perfectly good campsite. "Zuko," was all she had managed to reply. She hadn't told them he had been crying.

"Katara, come on!" her brother's voice called from across the clearing. "Town. Food. Now."

"I'm almost done! Go find some rock-shaped nuts or something." She could almost feel Sokka's glower burn into her back as Aang's amused chuckle carried down to her on the wind. Surveying her reflection and the disheveled, windblown strands that had escaped from her braid, she loosened her hair and set about combing it out with her fingers, staring vacantly at her reflection. That boy had been heading toward the town. But it couldn't have been him, stumbling, listless. Not to mention, they had left him behind days ago. He would have had to travel day and night to match their progress. And that night under the willow, he hadn't even made a move to stand, let alone fight or pursue them. Katara's brow furrowed as she wove the last few strands together and tied off the end of the fresh braid. Standing slowly she brushed the sand from her knees and started back toward the group. A tiny smirk formed as she watched Momo, cheeks stuffed with berry-sized lumps, frantically fleeing before a wildly gesticulating, club-bearing Sokka, and Aang cringing as the lemur swooped under his cowl for protection.

Katara spared a wry shake of her head as she climbed onto the bison's back. "Pay attention, Appa. This is educational: primitive primates establishing their pecking order. I think that one with the ponytail is losing."

"A primate?" Sokka whined in protest as he and the others joined her on the litter. "And for the last time, it's not a 'ponytail.' It's a warrior's wolftail!"

"You know, Sokka, wolfbats eat according to pack hierarchy, too," Aang informed with an innocent smile as they took to the sky.

"Let's just get to that town," he huffed, arms folded sulkily over his chest.

Katara leaned over the side, watching the trees pass away beneath them, and forcing down the anxious flutter that developed as they passed over the dirt wagon trail.

It couldn't have been him.

"Oh no." Aang's quiet moan coincided with the first whiff of smoke in her nostrils. "Yip yip!" The bison sped toward the smoke-shrouded village, amber light dimly illuminating the underside of the haze. Gathering his breath, the young monk released a gust of air to disperse the dark blanket and reveal the town square beneath. "It's those girls again!"

Katara leaned dangerously far over the side of the litter, confirming the suspicions she had been unable to dismiss for the past hours. "Zuko." The single word brought the week old memories rushing back once more, an echo of the anxious tone with the slightest trace of concern. Her gaze darted over the small square, quickly taking stock of the damage. An entire section of the town was already engulfed, and it was clear the rest would soon follow. Her gaze caught on Zuko, standing between two towering pillars of flame, one arm limp at his side, and the three girls calmly stalking closer. "Aang, bring us down. We have to help."

With a crisp nod, he signaled Appa to descend. Before the bison's feet even touched down, Katara leapt to the ground and bolted toward the leader. The girl's frigid chuckle cut through her like an arctic wind. The water whip snapped sharply from her hand, bringing an eerie moment of silence in its wake, as burning ember eyes turned upon her. Taking advantage of the girl's brief moment of shock, Katara sent forth another whip, aiming for her opponent's feet. Despite the quick succession of her attacks, the thin stream of liquid only flicked against the soot-dusted street, her target having jumped up and out of range.

Azula smirked as one foot flashed out toward the waterbender, sending a burst of white-hot flame in her direction. With a short shriek of dismay, Katara ducked to the side and pulled an orb of water from its skin, freezing it and letting it fly, only to be immediately rendered harmless by the wall of flame that flared before it. She couldn't keep this up long, she realized, as she searched for a better source of her element. As her gaze cast about the makeshift battleground, she saw her brother matched off against the tall girl with the knives, while Aang dodged a rather frustrated girl in pink. Her friend vaulted himself over a short cylinder of rock, cinders still glowing dimly on its rim. A well!

As another barrage of fire flew toward her she tucked and rolled toward the water source. Popping back up onto her feet, she pulled a long stream from the underground spring and sent it toward the princess, even as the other girl sent a flare directly for her head. Having no place to escape from the gout of blue light closing in on her, Katara threw herself backwards into the well, the flame narrowly missing her as it skimmed over the top of the stones and she plummeted down the damp, narrow shaft. As she hit the water's surface she could hear Aang's scream of dismay, and her opponent's head blocked out the light from above for a brief moment before it was replaced by an artificial sunburst that hurtled down toward her. Throwing an arm up for protection, a veil of water formed and froze in a dome above her, dissipating the fireball with a sizzle. Breaking the ice shield apart she spun herself in a tight circle, bending the water around her and forcing it to carry her up. Steadily rising, she prepared her next attack, gathering her breath to freeze the twisting column and rapidly shear off thin ice disks to let fly at her enemies. Upon reaching the surface, however, she couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.

Aang, it appeared, had had enough, and stood several feet from the well, releasing his anger upon the three girls in a steady stream of air and water attacks. He had corralled them into a group and begun to drive them back toward a burning wall. Katara released herself from her inverted whirlpool as she saw him prepare to draw a large amount of water from the well, and ran to stand by Sokka as the avatar sent a broad stream to encircle his targets. But before it could even completely encompass them, Azula erected a column of blue flame, pushing it outward to meet and evaporate the water.

The Water Tribe siblings ran to flank their winded friend, the two groups staring, mirroring each other, waiting for the next sudden movement. Sokka narrowed his eyes, his fingers waggling dramatically beside the knife at his hip.

"That's enough for today, ladies. This can wait until after I see my father's new outpost acquired." With a sweeping motion, the Fire princess drew the flames from the building behind her to roar into the middle of the square, covering their retreat.

As the veil of fire dissipated, Sokka sprinted a few steps toward the inferno, and the few remaining earth benders who continued to struggle against the blazing heat and suffocating smog, though the intensity of the flames had seemed to dim somewhat during their battle. "Katara, Aang! We need to stop it! Turn on the waterworks!"

"Aang, we need a whirlwind," Katara called as she ran back toward the well and began pulling forth a giant waterspout.

"Sure thing!" the avatar responded as he flicked open his glider and took to the sky. Beginning in broad slow circles, his circuits quickly become tighter and more rapid, until a tornado of smoke and dirt collided with his friend's water pillar. Joining her on the ground once again the two benders directed their funnel toward the conflagration sending out a massive spray of water. Yet, even considering the sheer volume of liquid they were supplying, the makeshift fire brigade found the flames dosed even more quickly then expected, as though the fire was dying from its epicenter where the buildings were more closely packed, the fuel more abundant.

"Looks like Prince Pouty-Puss ran off, too," Sokka sniffed snootily, wringing out his wolftail as the final drops fell from the sky.

"Zuko!" Katara cried, as the battle haze finally cleared from her mind and she recalled the image of the battered boy standing against three merciless enemies. Before her friends could stop her, she was running toward the debris-strewn alleyway and disappearing into the thick, damp haze.

"Katara!" Sokka called frantically and had started running after his sister when he felt Aang's grip on his arm.

"It's still too dangerous for you to go in there. I'll go after her; you see if you can help the townspeople finish putting out what's left of the fire." Sokka gave a stiff nod and Aang too disappeared into the smoke and steam shrouded streets.

Katara stumbled through the burnt out wreckage of the town, dodging the larger pieces of charred debris and shying away from the sounds of cracking timbers. Yet despite the massive amounts of damage that surrounded her, she could clearly see the point on each building where the fire had ceased rising and had begun to die. She and Aang's artificial rain shower would not have caused such a marked delineation.

"Zuko!" she tried, but his name was lost in a coughing fit brought on by the soot scratching her throat. Stopping to catch her breath she reached out her hand to a nearby wall. She had barely placed any weight against it when it crumbled into a pile of rubble. As some smaller stones rolled toward her feet she scurried back, hands waving before her face to shoo away the dust that had been kicked up by the collapse. She continued on, each building she passed more damaged than the last, until there were no buildings at all--only hulking, blackened skeletons. This is where it had started. And this is where he had come to end it. In the midst of ashes and ruin lay a prince.


End file.
